Speaking minutes after addressing Occupy London protesters on the cathedral steps for the first time, Dr Richard Chartres said:

Getting the legal situation clear about how we can resume fleecing tourists with our exorbitant entrance prices to the Cathedral is a much more pressing matter for the Church authorities than pie-in-the-sky discussions about morality. The cathedral charges £14.50 for entry and, with the restaurant and gift shop also shut, we estimate we’ve lost more than £100,000 because of the protest.

I don’t myself subscribe to the idea that using violence to evict the protesters is instantly going to lead to confrontation. If the protesters quietly and peacefully accept being baton charged and hit over the head by mounted riot police there’s no reason why a reasonable discussion cannot be had while they’re being dragged away by their hair.